


Alternative Ending: When You Stand Under My Colors

by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes)



Series: Holly's Round Seven H/C Bingo Card [64]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2019-02-22 16:24:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13170693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiasobi_writes/pseuds/hollyandvice
Summary: As he marches out the door, he wonders, for instant, what might have happened if he'd listened to the Galra on the cruiser. But that chance is long gone, and Keith isn't one to dwell on could-have-beens. All he can do is face the present head-on.In which Keith makes a different choice on that Galra Cruiser.The originally planned ending to installment 5,What You Think it Oughta Be.





	Alternative Ending: When You Stand Under My Colors

**Author's Note:**

> Much darker than the real ending, and not considered canon to the verse. Read at your own risk.

"I've been working on a way to break the bond, but I need more time."

For a moment, Keith considers believing her. Considers trusting in a member of the empire he's spent the last five years fighting. But a voice in the back of his mind that sounds way too much like Pidge makes him think better of it, and he shakes his head. "And why should I believe you?"

"You said it yourself, you couldn't get him out of the room on your own! They can't be separated, don't you _get it_?"

Keith shakes his head again. "I don't believe you. I'm taking him back to our ship and then _we're_ going to find a way to help him." He powers down both bayards and then kneels to lift Lance into his arms, taking care to support Lance's head and neck as he stands in case he starts convulsing again. When the Galra gets to her feet as well, rage in every line of her body, Keith just narrows his eyes at her. "Don't make me fight you like this. I swear, I'll take you down, no matter what the cost."

"You're not _listening_! Your lover is going to beg you for death if you take him from the confines of this ship! I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even you!"

"We're going to save him, no matter what you say. He's stronger than you give him credit for, and _we're going to save him_."

The Galra lunges for him, but the move is so telegraphed that it's clear she's no fighter. Keith levels a kick at her abdomen, sending her to her knees, coughing and choking while she stares up at him, rage and hate and, somehow, betrayal in her eyes.

"Keith?" Shiro calls through the comms. "Everything okay over there?"

"Affirmative, Shiro. I'm enroute with Lance. ETA ten minutes."

The Galra shakes her head at him, gasping for breath as she tries to form words, but Keith ignores her, turning on his heel to march out the door, supporting Lance's head as best he can as he makes his way out of the room. "You'll regret this, paladin! I swear, when I find you--"

Keith lets her voice fade into silence as he makes his way swiftly from the room.

\----

It's a full day later when Keith finally realizes how much truth there was in the Galra's words. Lance had been unconscious for the full ride back to the castle, as well as for much of the discussion Keith had had with Allura and Coran about how Lance had reacted when he'd tried to take him from the Galra cruiser. How the convulsions had stopped once Keith was about five hundred yards away from the room he'd found Lance in, even as Lance's skin had been just a bit too cold against Keith's when he'd strapped him into Blue. Coran had gone strangely quiet when Keith described what happened, his eyes distant, and he'd spoken quietly of the power of a ritual bonding ceremony. Of what it means when done correctly and what it could mean that Lance was subjected to one. It had left Keith's blood cold in his veins and sent him to the infirmary to be at Lance's side.

Now, though, Lance is stirring in his bed in the infirmary and, for an instant, Keith thinks that they have, perhaps, dodged a bullet. Lance's eyes are warm and soft as they land on Keith's face, comfortable as Keith had only dreamed he would be.

The illusion is shattered in an instant. The second Lance's eyes come into focus on Keith, they go wide with shock and fear. He pushes himself upright, moving as far away from Keith as he can get, and then--

Then he lets loose a bloodcurdling scream.

Keith's whole body goes rigid with shock, unable to react as the man he loves screams with unholy fear before him. Words stick behind his throat and his strength fails him, fear and worry for his lover keeping him motionless. It isn't until Coran comes barging through the door and gets to work sedating Lance that Keith realizes what he's done.

As he marches out the door, he wonders, for instant, what might have happened if he'd listened to the Galra on the cruiser. But that chance is long gone, and Keith isn't one to dwell on could-have-beens. All he can do is face the present head-on.

\----

"You know what we have to do."

Keith's face is in his hands when Coran finally says the words. It's been almost a month of keeping Lance more-or-less sedated at all times while Coran, Pidge, and Allura try to work out a way to break the bond that has left their blue paladin catatonic since they retrieved him.

Coran's hand is light on Keith's shoulders, an attempt at comfort that Keith wishes he could acknowledge. "I'm sorry, Keith."

"If I'd just _listened_ to that Galra--"

"None of us would have listened, Keith," Hunk says quietly. "I don't think even I would have. Why would we when they've spent the last several thousand years conquering the galaxy? You did what any of us would have done."

"But I--"

"There's no use wondering about what could have happened," Shiro says, a firmness in his tone. "All we can do is move forward." He touches Keith's other shoulder gently, and then Keith hears him shifting in his seat, presumably to face Coran. "Do you have what I need?"

That makes Keith look up. "What _you_ need?"

Shiro nods. "I'm the leader of this team. If any of us should do this, it should be me."

For a second, Keith thinks about letting Shiro bear this weight for him. Letting his leader take the brunt of this pain. Letting himself pretend that they just never found Lance instead of--

He shakes his head, meeting Shiro's eyes head on. "I was his boyfriend, Shiro. I was his boyfriend and I didn't stop him from turning himself over to them. I let him walk into their clutches. You don't have to do this. It should be me," Keith says, his voice going soft. Shiro stares at him while the rest of the room goes deathly silent. "Please, Shiro. I need to do this."

Slowly, Shiro nods. "If you're sure, Keith."

"I'm sure."

"Very well," Coran says after a moment of quiet. "I'll prepare everything."

\----

The syringe in Keith's hand is small and innocuous enough that he can pretend, for an instant, that he isn't about to do what he's about to do. Lance is still in the same half-conscious state that they've been keeping him in, idle curiosity in his gaze as he looks around. Keith can still see the twisted pain in his features that appears every time they tried to take him off sedatives, can still see the way he would writhe and scream at the separation from his bondmate. It's only that memory that makes him strong enough to do what he has to.

Coran's hand is gentle on his elbow. "You don't have to do this, Keith."

"But I do, Coran. If anyone should be with him--" He swallows. "I have to do this."

Coran nods. "Very well." He's careful as he shows Keith how to insert the needle, gentle as he encourages Keith to force the concoction beneath Lance's skin, cautious as they remove the needle, and as soon as he's done all he can, he steps away, a strong hand at the small of Keith's back. "I'll let you have a moment."

Keith nods, uncertain if Coran saw it, but he worries that the second he opens his mouth to speak, he'll start crying, so he says nothing. Instead, he strokes idly at Lance's hair, hope and guilt mixing in his chest when Lance's glassy eyes turn to meet his.

"I'm so sorry," Keith finally whispers once he's sure he's alone. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. That I didn't bring her back with me. That I didn't--" Keith shakes his head. "I'm so sorry." Then he leans in, pressing a desperate kiss to Lance's forehead.

Lance just blinks once, nothing in his face to show that he'd understood. Keith blinks back tears and doesn't move. Not even when Lance's vitals flatline from the chemical Keith himself had injected into his veins.

"Be free," Keith whispers. "Be free, and when Zarkon is dead by my hand or Shiro's, know that I will meet you in the next life. I promise."

When he turns to walk from the infirmary, his once-lover dead on the table, Keith knows he won't stop until he's fulfilled his last promise to Lance.

_I'm coming for you, Zarkon. And this time, you're not making it out alive._

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted [on Dreamwidth](https://hollyandvice.dreamwidth.org/3377.html), but I decided I wanted everything in the same place. Posted on 12/27/17 and backdated to the original DW posting date.
> 
> [Come hang with me on tumblr!!](http://hollyandvice.tumblr.com/)


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